Scenery: 5

PB potential: 8

Atmosphere: 10

Organisation: 9

Value: 5 - £6.50/£8.50 to enter (no entries on the day for the last 8 years). Goodybag included energy bar, Health Club day pass, banana, drink and on the reverse of our number a sweat shop discount offer.

Beginner Friendly: 10

Didn’t arrive till 10:30. I’d arranged to meet Beth de Nobrega with a vest. Didn’t have time for a massage this year. I’d been to Tranmere to watch Blackpool the night before – my first match of the season and I was the kiss of death! (7-game unbeaten run comes to an end!). We didn’t get back till nearly midnight and I had to run my son to football training at Poulton for 9 am.

I’m always impressed driving to the race with the directions signs from the M55 – nice touch.

I’d been to Therapy House for some treatment on Thursday and he gave me some gels to try, so I wore a bum bag and of course everyone took the p***!! With hindsight they were all right! I must have lost 5 seconds every time I struggled to open one!!

The start took me a bit by surprise. The rope simply dropped and we were off. It was a shame in a way to see so many Wesham runners helping and not running, but I guess no helpers, no race!

I had a fast start, (too fast) – I was just behind Karl Lee, (I’d never noticed his hairy armpits before!), till my legs died and a couple of dozen runners came past me and then I settled into a rhythm with Dave Johnson. I consoled myself with the fact that 2/3 weeks ago I couldn’t have stayed with Karl for 10 yards…..or my 9 year old son for that matter!! I was reading a magazine this week that told us to break out of our comfort zone. I was trying, I was really trying!!

Dave and I just crept under 40 minutes – I suspect a PB for Dave. We both got a good shout near the Finish from Peter Waywell. Michaela had called Peter a wimp for not running because of a couple of stitches in his mouth, but, after seeing him, his face was visibly swollen – can I apologise now on behalf of my fiancée! I jumped into my car and headed to Poulton to pick up my son from football…..to take him to a golf lesson!!! Keith Rhead wasn’t happy that I wanted to turn right down the course. Sorry Keith, (I only had 20 minutes to get Poulton… before you say it; I’ll have to run faster next year!) Glad I wasn’t one of the cars boxed in! An unattached runner said I was pushing it: “What if the race doesn’t start in time?” I asked him if he’d done a Wesham race before! Nuff said!

This was my 14^th Wesham 10K, (Jenny Thompson has done them all). My records aren’t that meticulous. Keith Rhead has put all the previous results on the website. Tony Robbins and Trevor Rayner have also done fourteen.

Forty eight Wesham men ran today and twenty ladies. (I nearly said took part.) I realise a similar number possibly helped Andy and Sally today to make it a thoroughly successful day. Whoever does it next year has got a lot to live up to!

We had 22 runners under 40 minutes today. Sorry about all the Stats (I’m a Civil Servant!!)

Footnote:

Speaking to Lee Barlow at the Dinner Dance at the North Euston, I asked Lee what time Dave Waywell picked him up and he told me 7:20 am!!!!! Dave wanted to pick him up at 6:30, but Lee managed to squeeze another 50 minutes shut eye.

If only people realised how much goes into organising a day like today – great write up in the Gazette and Runners World.

Written by: Martin Bates

Submitted: 28^th November 2006

Edited by Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=4andUTN=87860andV=6andSP=

And

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?ugn=316anden=3012andsp=andv=1